Malema group just a faction: Sasco

A group calling itself Friends of the Youth League is nothing more than a factional group, the SA Students Congress (Sasco) said on Wednesday.

“We are deeply angered and saddened by activities of some ill-disciplined individuals calling themselves the Friends of the Youth League,” Sasco said in a statement.

“(They) are hell bent on weakening the image, stature and reputation of the ANC and its leadership.”

The student organisation said the group was a consortium of bitter people who were being petty.

“Hence we like to refer to them as a petty-crowd.”

Friends of the Youth League was established shortly after former ANC Youth League president Julius Malema was expelled from the ANC. It organises events around the country at which Malema can address supporters.

Earlier this week the ANCYL in Gauteng said it was distancing itself from the group. It said it was concerned by the ANCYL's national executive committee's silence on the group and urged it to publicly announce where it stood.

Sasco said it was disgusted that Friends of the Youth League was holding meetings on campuses around the country and had launched itself at the Walter Sisulu University in Mthatha, Eastern Cape.

“We will instruct our structures to close campuses for this grouping, they must hold their meetings in the sky,” said Sasco.

“We want to further tell our membership and all our structures to not be found anywhere close to this grouping.”

Sasco said it remained a strategic alliance partner of the ANCYL and would guard it against “problematic characters” defining themselves as friends. – Sapa